


Splitting the Atom

by Lilsciencequeen



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, season 1 AU, tracks rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-01 19:19:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2784704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsciencequeen/pseuds/Lilsciencequeen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens if it was Jemma that got shot at the end of T.R.A.C.K.S?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

His heart just about broke when he saw her lying there, dying. She shouldn't be in that position. It shouldn't be her. How had this happened?  
The mission.... oh God the mission.  
It was supposed to be an easy mission. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. It was supposed to be easy.  
And now she was dying. There was no way to save her. How would he survive without her? And her parents?  
He'd have to tell them. Have to tell them that their precious girl was gone. That...he looked up, tears glistening in his eyes, blinding him.  
That's when he saw it. The chamber. The ones Jemma always went on about but he could never remember the name of.  
Maybe, just maybe that could save her.  
He looked down at the bloody, battered mess that was her stomach. Two shots, one from a distance. The other point blank.  
He hadn't been there for her.  
This was all his fault.  
If he hadn't been upstairs disabling the security system, if he hadn't let her go down here unarmed, if only.  
If only wasn't going to bring her back.  
If only wasn't going to catch Ian Quinn.  
Only he could do that.  
He could save her.  
He lifted her body,too limb, too light and carried her gently across the now red basement and set her gently in the chamber. And got to work. He adjusted the pressure and the temperature but there was no guarantee that it would work. No guarantee that she would survive.  
But he would do everything he could to ensure that she would survive. He would bend Heaven and Earth if he had to.  
She had been at Death's door before and came back. Surely she could come back again.  
But how many times can you face death before it finally claims you? asked a nagging voice in the back of his head. That one little thought of self doubt almost threw him...  
But all he has to do was look at her, see the blood slowly pooling on her once white blouse, to gain the confidence back, that yes, he might actually have a chance. He might actually save her.  
But he might not. One glance at the room showed just how much blood she had lost. The floor coated in the red, sticky liquid.  
He sighed. He'd done everything that he possibly could. Now, now it was fate. Fate would decide whether she lived or died.  
But that one shaky breath that escaped from her lips gave him some hope.


	2. Chapter 2

She was rushed to the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D medical facility. And the whole way on the Bus, Fitz stayed by her side, his hand resting on the Hyperbaric Chamber. As soon as they got to the medical facility, she was taken away, rushed into surgery.

"I can't believe someone would do such a thing to her," Skye said numb, watching the double doors swing shut as Jemma was taken into the Operating Room. "Why would someone do something like that?"

Fitz, standing beside her, just shrugged, unsure of what to say or what to do. "I don't know." All that went through his mind was _"Will she survive?"_

The wait while she was in surgery was long and agonising. To Fitz, it seemed that time had slowed down altogether. That she would never get out of surgery.

He sat in the waiting room.

He paced the waiting room.

He sat in the waiting room, again.

He got a cup of coffee but couldn't stomach it. It was the stale coffee you get in hospitals anyway. That stale coffee that all people seem to do with it is hold it. The coffee that provides some comfort during your worst times.

Finally, she got out of surgery. Finally there was some flicker of light in this never ending darkness. But that flicker of light was just that, a flicker of light. Not 100% alight but not 100% out either.

When the nurse came into the waiting room, they all stood up. Yet another hospital tradition. "Is everything OK?" Fitz asked, what little colour that was left on his face, draining from it. He didn't appreciate the nurses's silence.

"They did everything that they could. She made it through but we have no idea if she'll survive from here on out."

"What damage?" Fitz barely got it out. He shallowed hard. "What was damaged?"

As soon as the nurse answered it, he blanked out. He regretted asking. The nurse explained everything, in great detail, of what was wrong with her. And he couldn't bare it.

"Can we see her?"

It was Coulson who asked, filling the silence that was left. For how long the room was silent, he'll never know.

"He can," the nurse said bluntly, gesturing at Fitz. "But at the moment its only family."

Should he have been happy that he was classed as family he wondered as he was lead down endless corridors, so white that they were blinding. So quiet that it was deafening. So clean that it was unhealthy.

She had her own ward. Of course she did. It was S.H.I.E.L.D. They wouldn't let one of their best have to share a room. Especially after what she's been through. 

And she had been to hell and back.

She just lay there. A tube in her mouth to help her breath. A thin, white blanket covered her. As did bandages. 

That's what was wrapped around her middle. Bandages that were once white, obviously to fit in with the hospital theme, were now turning red as blood seeped through.

There were three seats surrounding her bed. He took the one closest. And lifted her limb hand, cold as ice. And begged her to come back. Not for him. But because she didn't deserve this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything, Marvel does.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. I accidentally deleted this whole chapter on Friday when I wrote it and was so annoyed I refused to write it until today...

"We could use whatever brought back Coulson," Skye said.

May looked over at her. "No. It's too dangerous. That project, T.A.H.I.T.I. was stopped for a reason. Coulson shouldn't..."

Skye cut her off. They were on the Bus, parked outside the medical facility. Everyone had moved back to the Bus, everyone except Fitz that was. He had refused to leave Jemma's side for the past three days. "What happens if she dies? Her blood will on your hands, not just Quinn's!"

May was taken back by this. She knew that Skye was upset that her best friend, the first person she could call that, was dying. The girl who was like a sister to her. "Skye, wait," May said firmly, calling after Skye as she ran to her bunk.

***

"T.A.H.I.T.I was shut down for a reason, May. It's too dangerous. We're not risking it for her." Coulson wasn't looking at May when he said this. Whether it was because he felt guilty or because he was too absorbed in the file he was reading, she had only a faint idea.

"Why not, Phil? How do you think Skye will take it if she dies and we could've have saved her? Do you think that she would forgive you? Fitz? Are you seriously suggesting that he will get over her death? Because he won't. He will never get over her death. Never. And how will you tell her parents that she's dead, when we had a chance to save her?"

Coulson set the file down, with a heavy sigh. "Melinda," he began, ignoring the stare that May gave him for using her first name. "Are you sure you want to do this? The risks may outweigh the benefits?"

May gave a blunt nod. Coulson gave an even heavier sigh. "I'll talk to Fitz about it."

***

What the nurse said to him that third afternoon, was worse than she her lying there. 

"I'm sorry, Agent Fitz, but Agent Simmons..."

"Jemma."

"But Jemma," the nurse said correcting herself. "But Jemma is only alive because she's on life support. There is no brain activity. I'm sorry."

"Leave please," was all he managed to croak out. 

He still had her hand in his, paler and colder than it first was. He brought it up to his lips, gently kissing it.

"Come on Jems, don't die on us. Please."

***

Guest House. That's where they would find the drug that had brought Coulson back from the dead, and hopefully do the same to Jemma. They had moved her into a MedPod, so she could receive the drug, GH-325. 

And that was the first time Skye saw her since Italy. "God," was all she could say, when she saw Jemma lying there. In a limbo between life and death. "Why?" 

It was the wires that really got to her. The wires and the tubes that were keeping her alive. 

There were footsteps behind her and see turned. The person behind her was someone she didn't know. He held out his hand. "Names Antoine Triplett, but everyone just calls me Trip."

She accepted his hand. "Skye."

"I..." Trip had no idea what to say when he saw Jemma lying there. "We caught Quinn."

Skye sighed, one of relief that he had been caught. "Is he suffering?"

Trip nodded, though Skye couldn't see it. "Yes he is. Ward has him."

"Good. He deserves it." She took a breath, trying to keep herself together. But it wasn't working as tears streamed down her face. "Why are you here?" She never meant for it to come out as rude as it did. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Cause that sounded so rude."

"Don't. You're worried about your friend. I'm trained, kinda in medicine. If anything, God forbid, goes wrong, I'm here for her."

"Thank you."

And with that, the plane rumbled to life, hopefully to somewhere that could save Jemma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing, Marvel owns everything.  
> Also, I think I wrote May so out of character?


	4. Chapter 4

Fitz stayed by her side for the whole plane journey to the Guest House, wherever that was. He knew that this was the last resort. That if this didn't work, then there was nothing that they could do to save her. Her parents knew of course, as soon as he was able to he got in contact with them. But they hadn't seen her. They couldn't. S.H.I.E.L.D policy. And he hated that. That they couldn't see their only daughter. He looked at her once before lifting his phone. He was going to tell them. That they had once last chance to save her. And it was going to be one of the hardest phone calls that he was ever going to have to make.

***

Skye wandered through the bus, alone. She just needed some alone time. She headed to the cockpit, it made sense. She hadn't even seen May since their argument, never mind spoken to her. She knocked gently on the door and opened it ever so slightly, and slipped in. She climbed into the seat next to May, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them.

"I'm sorry."

May looked at her for a moment before looking out the window again. She seemed to be trying to force the plane to go faster, urging it to go faster. "Don't."

"Why? I said some pretty horrible things. I made..." Skye couldn't finish, as tears once again started to make their way down her face.

"I've been where you are. I have almost lost people I love and I've lost people I love. It doesn't get easier with time. Trust me. But you learn how to cope, with time. And if it weren't for you, we may have never considered this option. You are saving her."

Skye nodded. And said nothing else. Except a silent "Thank you." One you would not have heard unless you were truly listening for it. Which May was.

The two women sat in silence for the rest of the journey.

***

When Trip had come, so had his S.O., John Garrett and Ward. Ward had returned from his mission to find Ian Quinn and take him to The Fridge, which he had.

"Ward, its been so long," Trip said, holding out his hand. Ward accepted it.

"I know. How is she?"

Trip shrugged. "Apparently, life supports the only thing that's keeping her alive at this moment. If we don't find whatever brought Coulson back, then there's nothing."

"Horrible, isn't it," a voice said behind them. Fitz. He had left the MedPod, only for a moment to lift a book for Jemma's bunk. "That someone could do this."

Garrett looked down at him, a look on his face that Ward couldn't decipher.

Fitz pushed through the three of them as he made his way back to the MedPod, hating to leave Jemma longer than he had to. 

"So, how close where they?" Garrett asked, and Ward just looked at him as if he were stupid.

***

When they reached the Guest House, they all gathered in the lounge. After an argument with Coulson, Fitz had come, But reluctantly. 

"Now, we don't know what we'll meet here, so myself, Ward, Skye and John will go. Leaving May, Trip and Fitz here with Jemma, " Coulson briefed. As soon as he said this, Fitz was up on his feet and away before anyone could save anything, muttering under his breath about how it was pointless to leave Jemma's side.

"Any questions."

If anyone had any, they decided not to voice them.

***

As Skye was suiting up, Garrett came over.

"So, your Ward's S.O.?" she asked, making her final checks to her weapon.

Garrett nodded. "He was one of the best S.H.I.E.L.D. has seen in a long time. Now, he's yours?"

Skye nodded. "This isn't about me. Or him. This is about Jemma. This is about saving her. It shouldn't be her in that position. She shouldn't be dying. She has family people love her." She didn't dare voice the rest of her thought.

***

Trip found Fitz as soon as the rest of the team had left, and took a seat on the other side of the bed.

"Is that her favourite book?" He nodded to the book that was in Fitz's hand.

Fitz nodded. "Yeah, it was her favourite childhood book."

"Me, I personally preferred the classics. Moby Dick, The Wizard of Oz."

"Harry Potter's a classic." Fitz set the book down. "I'm scared." This was the first time that he had actually admitted what he was feeling. No one had had the time to listen to him, There was so much rushing around. Trying to save her, that no one had actually had the chance to talk this whole thing over with him.

"What are her parents like?"

"I told her dad first, what she would have wanted but," he took a shaky breath, scared that he was going to start crying again, and he personally didn't care any more. Here he was, he best friend, his first friend, one of his only friends, lying in a coma. Brain dead. "But they are so," he couldn't find the words to describe it.

Trip nodded.

And that's when she flat-lined.

***

Getting into the base was hard, there were hostiles. And Ward, Coulson and Garrett had eliminated them with ease. They were taking no prisoners here. It was truly a matter of life and death. 

Except, they had fifteen minutes to find the drug and get out. And that wasn't going to be easy.

They searched in every cabinet and every fridge and every cupboard in the medical room but still no luck until...

"Oh my God!" Sjye gasped. "I found it, I found it, I found it."

Coulson ran over and took her by both shoulders. "Run and don't look back."

Skye nodded and did as he said.

Ward and Garrett entered. "Follow Skye. I'll be up in a minute."

"But Sir," Ward began to protest.

"Come on Phil. We need to get up there, to see if this works."

"There's something that I need to do."

And with that, he walked away.

***

With the joint efforts of Trip and May, they had managed to restart her heart.

"We can't do this forever," May said.

Fitz nodded. 

"If the drug doesn't work..."

"I know!" Fitz shouted. "I know she dies. And I..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know, but I don't want to admit it. I don't want her to die. She's too young. She has so much ahead of her."

That's when they heard it. The heavy breathing. The pounding footsteps.

Skye.

"I've got it," she panted handing over the vial to Fitz. Who got to work immediately, putting it in a syringe.

***

What Coulson saw haunted him. And made him instantly regret this decision.

He had to stop them before it was too late.

***

He found a vein in her arm and placed the tip of the syringe in it. He took a breath and pressed the top of the syringe.

Coulson burst around the corner. He was about to say something, to tell them to stop. Tell them the true origins of the drug. To stop them from doing this. But it was too late. Fitz had injected her.

"She's going to be Ok," he whispered.

Then her heart rate monitor spiked. Her back arched. She looked to be in a lot of pain. Everyone's heads whipped around to see what was happening,

As she fell back onto the bed, so did her heart rate. It stopped altogether. It hadn't worked. It hadn't saved her.

"No, no no no no," Fitz muttered again and again and again. She was gone. "I'm so so sorry Jems."

He brushed her hair of her forehead, knelt down and gently kissed it. He then rested his forehead against hers, as if to say goodbye and whispered in such a low voice that no one else heard, "I love you."

Then she arched her back again, and he stumbled out of the way, straight into a hysterical Skye. But this time, as she collapsed onto the bed, her heart rate went back to normal. Her brain activity started to rise.

She was going to be Ok.

She was going to live.

Everything was going to be Ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing. Chapter 5 will be up before Christmas and will probably be the last chapter


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last chapter and looks at Jemma in her different stages of recovery

She woke up two days later, in a state of panic. And of course, Fitz was there by her side. 

"Jems, Jems," he said, making her look at him. "You're Ok, you're going to be Ok."

"What, what happened?" she managed to ask. And he explained everything. About how Quinn had shot her. Twice. How that she had surgery. How she was declared brain dead. How they travelled half way around the world, just to save her,

"My parents. My parents, do they know?"

He nodded. "They know everything they can."

"Can I speak to them?"

He handed to his phone, and she dialled. 

Her parents, and her, spent an hour and a half, crying down the phone. Fitz got up to leave a number of times, but she grabbed out and took his hand. Not wanting to be alone.

***

Skye came in the day after, when she was stuck in bed. She was healing at an extremely quick rate. And all she wanted to do was get out of the bed and the IV drip out.

Skye had tears streaming down her face. "We though we lost you."

"Hello Skye," Jemma said. She wasn't speaking much. She was stammering. Plus her throat was dry, a week of not speaking has a tendency to do that. "You saved me."

Skye shook her head. "No, I didn't. It was Fitz who gave you the drug."

This time, it was Jemma's turn to shake her head. "If you hadn't gotten into that argument... that argument with May, then...then you would never have gone to the Guest House, and and and saved me. Thank you, Skye. Thank you."

Skye just wrapped her arms around Jemma, and both women cried into each other, the pure relief of Jemma being alive.

***

The third night after she woke up, the nightmares kicked in. She wrestled with the duvet and the blankets. Screaming, twisting in agony. Fitz rushed in, stroking her hair and whispering gentle words of encouragement to her until she woke up.

"What happened?" she mumbled half asleep.

"You were having a nightmare. Go back to sleep, Jems."

***

After she got out of the MedPod, she couldn't wear trousers, jeans. Whatever. Anything with a waist rubbed against her stomach, annoying her wound. So she took to wearing all of Fitz's massive top. All of which came down to her knees and were far too baggy on her.

Fitz, on the other hand, was trying to sleep in his bunk when he heard a knock on the door and the ever so faint whisper of Jemma.

"I can't sleep."

Fitz woke up with a start, not because of her but because of his nightmare. Ever since that fateful day in Italy, his mind kept giving him horrible scenarios of what had happened and what could have happened.

The door creaked open, and he shuffled over on the bed, allowing her to lie down.

Instinctively, she curled up as soon as she lay down and he wrapped his arm around her before pulling the duvet over the both of them.

Sure there was a long way to go.

Sure things might happen in the future that neither of them would expect.

But, he thought stoking her hair, as she lay there, snoring ever so slightly, they could do anything.

As long as they had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing. Thank you so much for reading this and for all the support. It means so much to me.

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [An Atom That Can't Be Split](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5441396) by [Lilsciencequeen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsciencequeen/pseuds/Lilsciencequeen)




End file.
